1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to musical instrument holders. More particularly, this invention relates to musical instrument holders for use with a sheet music stand.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous holders are disclosed by the prior art for holding a musical instrument. One class of holders are those that are used in combination with a chair. Typically, such holders are used for large instruments and assist the player in supporting a portion of the weight of the instrument. Such holders are quite bulky, cumbersome, and are not easily transportable.
A second class of musical instrument holders includes those that are an integral part of an upright stand. Again, this type of holder is usually used for larger instruments and are not capable of being moved to other stands.
A third class of holders includes those holders that are positioned on the floor. An example of such a holder would be a holder having a small tripod base with an upwardly extending cone from the base. To support the instrument, the bell end portion of the instrument is inserted over the upwardly extending cone. Such supports are quite susceptible to being kicked or bumped, thereby causing the instrument to fall over and become damaged.
A fourth class of musical instrument holders are those that are used in connection with sheet music stands. U.S. Pat. No. 1,975,303 issued Oct. 2, 1934 to H. Walker et al is an example of such a holder. A horizontal bracket has a V-shaped channel formed in the middle of the bracket. The bracket partially encircles the periphery of the upright of the music stand and lines up the bracket in a horizontal position. The bracket is removably fastened to the upright of the music stand by means of a clamping member. A thumb nut must be tightened to secure the clamping member to the upright stand. Supporting arms project downwardly and outwardly from the bracket and are bent upward as suitable angles to form a cradle in which such instruments as trumpets can be placed. Each of the supporting arms is covered with felt to keep the arms from scratching the instrument. While such an instrument holder is removable from the music stand, it is necessary to loosen the thumb nut in order to release the instrument holder.
The present invention addresses the problems associated with the prior art instrument holders.